Naruto: Fourth Hokage

"Now, kit!," Kyuubi called out.

Naruto, using chakra as momentum to spring high into the air, jumped straight towards Gaara. Sand rushed towards him, but a quick burst of fire from Kyuubi stopped the sand, giving Naruto clear way.

"Wake the hell up!," Naruto yelled and punched Gaara square in the face, the one hit being strong enough to wake the sleeping Jinchuuriki. Gaara blinked as he was snapped out of his sleep.

Shukaku's eyes widened, "NOOOO! I JUST WOKE UP!"

Shukaku roar in anger at being pulled inside the seal again.

"Kit, beat that bastard up. I'm done here," Kyuubi said and vanished in a massive cloud of smoke back into the seal.

"Whatever, furball," Naruto replied and rushed towards the still awakening Gaara. Gaara, still under Shukaku's influence, growled, "He dispelled my jutsu."

Gaara, seeing Naruto coming, managed to use some sand to keep Naruto from reaching him, using sand to grab a hold of Naruto's limbs. Gaara growled as he saw Naruto's grinning face before the blonde teleported from the restraints and reappeared in front of him

"Wha-," was all Gaara muttered before Naruto headbutted Gaara hard to his forehead with his headband. Gaara's eyes were wide in shock, while his blood trickled down between them. Naruto, after removing his head off from Gaara's, removed the jutsu marker off of Gaara's left cheek, which he placed on his face earlier when he punched him to wake up, and smashed the Ō Fūin into Gaara's now bleeding forehand and activated the seal. The seal started suppressing away the remainder of the effects of Shukaku's dark chakra, coursing through him, completely separating both into two separate beings once again, or at least as separate as a Jinchuriki could be. The sand they were standing on, still in the shape of Shukaku, crumbled and unfortunately for the two nins, their was no where else to go…but down.

Both Jinchurikis fell to the ground; both of them physically drained; some blood streaming from Gaara's head with some of his blood smeared around the metallic part of Naruto's headband. Summoning Kyuubi No Kitsune drained Naruto of a lot of chakra, a penalty for summon the bijuu. But luckily the blond shinobi was still conscious though he was lying on his chest on the ground with Gaara only a couple of feet away from him.

"You…are…strong…," Gaara spoke in a low tone, "…Tell me what makes you this powerful? What's your secret?"

"There's no secret to it Gaara," Naruto replied, "In my life I've found that true strength is determined by true and constructive motives. I strongly believe that if you have a lot of precious people to protect…that will make you strong…"

"Precious people," Gaara asked with a confused expression. Naruto let out a small chuckle, "…I'm fighting…for the protection of my village, my friends and my family…your motives are destructive…you're fighting to prove your own existence through genocide…in the end our goals clash…your objective disagrees with mine…and my desires defy yours…I'll tell you this Gaara, you won't find true strength, or a purpose for your existence, in slaughtering everyone that comes in your path."

"…," Gaara remained silent as Naruto continued, "…Honestly…I believe…if you'd let me…the two of us could become the best of friends…"

"Friends…" Gaara muttered. Naruto continued, "That's right…in my life, I've grown fond of the people I've come to know as my friends and family…and they don't look at me as a Jinchuuriki or as the village's weapon but as a human being…In the end, they're part of the reasons why I didn't turn out to become what sadly happened to you…"

Gaara's eyes widened, "I…I…I…"

"Have a brother and sister that love you," Naruto answered for him, "Even though they're terrified of you. Still, if you desire to have friends…let them be your first…Understand Gaara that it's not too late for you. You can still make constructive changes in your life and find a new way to prove your existence to everyone, showing them that you're an individual and nobody's instrument."

Gaara continued to stare at the smiling blonde. In spite of everything that happened, Naruto still sought to help him. After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity, Gaara broke the silence, "Thank you, Naruto…my friend…"

Naruto smiled before using his remaining chakra to lift himself off the ground. After placing his glove back on, he walked over to where Gaara was laying. Kneeling down, Naruto place Gaara's left arm around his shoulders and lifted him off the ground.

"Yes, Gaara," Naruto said, "I'll be your friend."

A moment later, Sakuya and Tao appeared in front of Naruto.

"Naruto-sama," they both greeted. Sakuya asked, "Is all well?"

"Yes," Naruto said, "The danger is over. Thank you, both of you."

The two female fox warriors nodded before they disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving both Naruto and Gaara alone in the forest.

"Time to head back," Naruto said while holding Gaara. Naruto then teleported with him from out from the forest.

(Meanwhile)

Temari and Kankuro were looking all over for Gaara and Naruto but surprisingly they didn't find them. They were jumping from tree to tree looking for the two Jinchuurikis.

"Where are they," Kankuro shouted, "Where did that blond Konoha nin take Gaara?"

"I don't know," Temari said, "They disappeared without a trace."

"Impossible," Kankuro said, "With the way those two fight; they ought to have left some evidence of carnage or a fierce battle."

After another half an hour, the suna siblings returned back to the spot they originally found Gaara. To their surprise, they found Naruto standing on the same boulder Gaara was sitting on earlier that night, with an injured and exhausted Gaara being held up by Naruto.

"Took long enough," Naruto greeted, "I was beginning to think that you two would never return."

Naruto stepped off the boulder with Gaara as Temari appeared right next to Gaara.

"Are you alright," she asked her youngest brother. Gaara nodded, "Yes…"

After seeing the new seal paper of Gaara's head, Temari looked over at Naruto and asked, "How were you able to stop Shukaku?"

"When I wrote and placed the first Ō Fūin on Gaara's head earlier during the chaos," Naruto explained, "I rushed through writings. As a result, some of the writings on that seal were done incorrectly, making the seal less effective before Shukaku completely overpowered it and attacked me. This time I managed to write the seal properly, making it as effective as it was designed to be. Shukaku won't be able to overpower this one."

Temari nodded in understand as she pulled her little brother over her shoulder and Kankuro came and helped Temari carry Gaara.

"Naruto…," Gaara muttered. Naruto looked at Gaara, "Yes?"

"Tomorrow," Gaara inquired, "…At the Hokage Tower…My seal…"

"I've taken care of that," Naruto answered, "I came here earlier to tell you that I found a way to fully repair your seal without causing harm to you whatsoever before you went berserk on me."

"You actually did that," Kankuro asked in disbelief, "But you don't even know about-"

"I saw through his mind," Naruto explained as he cut Kankuro off, "I can't explain how it happened or why, but Gaara and I had some kind of connection with each other. He shared with me all of his pain, suffering and misery, and all that happened to him throughout his life. He showed me the dark path he was put on and I saw what he was about to damn himself to. I couldn't allow that to happen."

"Our father wanted him to be a perfect weapon," Kankuro said lowly.

"Gaara is nobody's weapon," Naruto replied with disgust, "I abhor and despise those who rob people of their innocence and use them as tools and instruments for their own personal use and then dispose of them after they fulfill their use. They give humans a bad name."

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